COACHELLA, CA - I’ve always found the bell pepper category to be incredibly unique. From bright red, orange, and yellow to crisp green, these fresh produce items offer a variety of eating experiences unlike any other. Curious as to how this exciting category is faring in the market, I got in touch with Katy Johnson of Marketing at Prime Time International.

“Prime Time has multiple growing locations throughout Southern California, Baja California, and Mainland Mexico,” she began. “We are currently in a transitional period, meaning harvest is slowly winding down in Oxnard, California, and moving south for the winter. Harvest has begun in Mexico and is just around the corner in the Coachella Valley.”

Katy told me that red, yellow, green, and orange bell peppers are all being picked and packed at this time, as well as mini peppers. Bell peppers are being harvested from both open field and hot house production, bringing a wide range of flavor and eating quality to market.

“Across the board, quality remains very good and supply is consistent. California has had a hot summer,” explained Katy. “In the desert, there have been more than 160 days with over 100 degrees which has been stressful for the new plantings of the fall crop, but not devastating. Mexico has experienced much of the same.”

Even with fluctuating buying patterns due to COVID-19 bringing in less foodservice and more retail business, Katy assured me that the market has been steady. Additionally, pricing has remained steady as consumers continue to seek out fresh bell peppers.

As we continue to see trends shift in the fresh produce industry, keep coming back to AndNowUKnow for exclusive market updates.

Prime Time International